. Bulletin of the Natural History Museum Zoology. . Fig. 5 Tail of Holaspis. a. Proximal segment from above; b. Proximal segment from below; c. Transverse section. lateral pairs instead of being staggered. The plates each have several sense organs on their posterior border and, as the usual number of sense organs per dorsal caudal scale in other lacertid lizards is one, it is likely that the plates have replaced a number of smaller scales. The wide double band is flanked by one or two (rarely three) longitudinal rows of narrower scales, one row being frequent in H. laevis and one or two in H.
. Bulletin of the Natural History Museum Zoology. . Fig. 5 Tail of Holaspis. a. Proximal segment from above; b. Proximal segment from below; c. Transverse section. lateral pairs instead of being staggered. The plates each have several sense organs on their posterior border and, as the usual number of sense organs per dorsal caudal scale in other lacertid lizards is one, it is likely that the plates have replaced a number of smaller scales. The wide double band is flanked by one or two (rarely three) longitudinal rows of narrower scales, one row being frequent in H. laevis and one or two in H. guentheri. The number of rows some- times increases anteriorly and these scales are replaced by granules on the tail base. The median part of the ventral surface of the tail is formed by another row of wide, paired plates, again replacing multiple small scales in other lacertid lizards. The lateral edges of the tail are serrated and consist of a single row of strongly modified scales. In transverse section, each of these scales is more or less triangular, the broad base joining the tail, the apex pointing outwards; in this plane, the lateral scales curve downwards. Viewed from above, these scales are again approxi- mately triangular, the point being directed obliquely backwards. Proximally, the longitudinal axis of these scales is parallel with that of the whole tail; distally, their anterior edges tend to be twisted downwards so that their longitudinal section here runs backwards and slightly upwards. Each lateral scale is capable of some move- ment since it is connected with contiguous scales in its whorl by flexible hinge regions. However, the motion is limited by the scale interlocking with its anterior and posterior neighbours. On the underside of each of these scales, parallel with and close to the trailing edge, is a slit-shaped cavity. The anterior portion of the following scale projects into this, giving the lateral fringes consider- able stiffness. LIMBS. The spans of
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